6.5X.284 loads

[M-61]

I have a new Savage 12 & I am working up my first loads in this cartridge. Accuracy is not that good at all. I started at 43.5g of H4350 and went up to 45.0g. All with 142g Sierra's. Grouping ( if you call it that!) went from horizontal to vertical stringing with 5 shot groups as the load increased. When I look at the chart on this site I see loads going to 48.5 to 49. The reloading manuals list my 45g as a max yet I see NO signs of high pressure at all. I am reluctant to make a jump from 45 to say 47 without stops along the way, however just shooting away to work up to this I'd rather not do if the opinion of other shooters is that 47 is really (in their experience) a fine starting point...so I need a little help with these next reloads. I did this with a 6BR and wasted so much time and ammo to finally get up to a super accurate load....all the same problems vert..horz...big groups and once a few kind folks on this site helped out the groups became some of the best I have ever shot.
BTW....Norma brass... OAL just touches the lands...All was shot with a 3.08 COAL...Thanks

 

[coreydelong]

Lapua brass, F210M primers and 142g SMK's @ 2.940"..... H4350 from 48.0- 49.0g no problem. John Hoover fire forms at 48.0g and runs match loads at 49.0g. You should try some of his prepped 142g SMK's. You'll never buy stock SMK's again.

Your velocity with 45.0g has to blow?? Have you run them over a chrony??

My best load came out to be 48.4g of H4350. Shooting 0.2's at 300yds where I do my testing. Over the chrony they run 2917fps, ES-7, SD-4.

You OAL seems a bit long for a factory Savage chamber. My Savage was on the lands at 2.925" OAL. I'm betting your jammed pretty good. I currently load at ~2.940", but I check by comparator.

 

[M-61]

You OAL seems a bit long for a factory Savage chamber. My Savage was on the lands at 2.925" OAL. I'm betting your jammed pretty good. I currently load at ~2.940", but I check by comparator.


You are 100% right. I had modified a case for my OAL gauge. Made an error which I discovered after reading your response. I am 2.943 (OAL) to the lands by my new measurement which means I sure am jamming pretty good at 3.08 OAL.
No chronograph but you gave me good stuff to go with to start again....many thanks.

 

[coreydelong]

The current data I gave you was for my custom build.... Panda action and 30" finished Broughton barrel with a PTG reamer built to John Hoover's specs..... 0.296" neck, 0.293" finished round with a 0.188" freebore.

I am just on the lands at 2.940" with my current custom buld. With the old Savage I was in ~0.010" loading at 2.935".

You will find your Savage chamber is around 0.300" which will beat up your brass rather quickly when re-sizing and necking down to get enough neck tension back. If my Savage chamber was 0.296"- 0.297" I probably would have kept it till I burned it out, but I got tired of having to neck down in two steps to get enough neck tension back.

 

[coford]

I hate to waste wear on my barrel with 6.5X284 load work so I have learned to cautiously lean on others for starting data. My first barrel liked 51.5 grains of H4831sc, F210M, and Sierra 142's. It shot good but the velocity was a little lower than I wanted (2880). I wore this barrel out around 1200 rounds.

When I rebarreled the rifle I started with H4350, F210, and Sierra142's - looking for a little more velocity. I started with 47.9 and went up by .2 grains to 48.9. The accuracy was ok, the velocity was about the same as the H4831sc, but the SD was 30.

I then switched primers and the sun came out! 48.3 grains of H4350 went 2980, with no pressure, and shot little tiny groups (I won't say because someone will call BS). The H4350 with CCI BR primers is the deal with this barrel. The SD's are in the 4 to 5 area and the velocity is great. The OL in my chamber is 3.10 with a .002 jam.

By the way 48.5 was almost 3000 and the bolt started to lift a little hard at 48.7.

Both barrels were Kreigers. The first a 8.5 twist and the second an 8 twist - yea I know - In theory the 8 should be slower.

Playing with these loads and guns is part of what makes this fun.

 

[BigHorn WBY]

I got my rifle (factory BVSS) in a trade, came with some load data with RL19, that was reported to be very accurate but I never tried it. My first load is its usin' load of 55grs H1000 with a 140gr Berger. Does 3050fps and sub moa at 1000.

The rifle is pulled apart right now thou, as the chamber is rough as a cob and is a bear to extract a fired round. Being set back and re-cut.